This article consists of a comparative analysis of social science production on the Indo-Pacific as an object of study, specifically in the field of International Relations (IR), between two countries: the United States and China, central players in this region. The aim is therefore to identify and define the main thematic orientations in the American and Chinese national academies over the last fifteen years, with scientific production on the Indo-Pacific understood as a political narrative. Thus, by using data from academic work in these two countries, focusing on IR articles, the aim is to highlight the scientific frame of reference of the “national traditions”. At the end of this article, it appears that the distinctions between these 'traditions' remain blurred, with different approaches running through them. The relationship between the scientific community and the political world can vary considerably depending on the contexts studied. However, while there are fundamental differences in the way researchers analyse cross-cutting challenges in the Indo-Pacific, a comparison of the scientific literature and expertise produced in universities in the United States and China sheds relevant light on the mutual influences of national academies of social sciences, specifically in International Relations.